00:04 S1
This is Studio 1 on Vision Australia Radio.
(Montage of voices....)
00:11 S2
As a blind person, it's easier to surf bigger waves. People would always say to me, You can't do that because you're disabled. As time went on, I realised I'd tried all those things and I could do them.
00:25 S3
Oh my God, is this how you see me?
00:29 S2
So then every time someone said to me, you can't do it, I'd do it. So my life experience was, people will tell you you can't do something, but if you try, you can.
00:44 UU
Nazaré is one of the most dangerous waves in the world.
00:47 S4
For more than a decade, surfers have embarked on a death or glory mission.
00:51 S5
Matt Formston...
00:52 S6
Matt Formston...
00:53 S7
The Matt Formston Sarah and I are both fearful of the ocean.
00:56 S8
Nazaré is just the biggest waves on the planet. You know the dream place, but at the same time can be the worst place ever. It can be your worst nightmare.
01:06 S3
And yeah, it'd be awesome if he does. It would be a great story to tell. I just say don't die.
01:13 S9
It's going to be a different story if he goes out when it's really big, like giant.
01:30 S10
Regardless of whether you're blind or you can see it, Nazaré is going to give you an ass whipping.
01:39 S11
There's no such thing as barriers. There's only obstacles. You either go over it or around it, but you don't let it stop you.
01:48 S12
Uma performance. Muito muito muito obrigado. Por qué? No way.
01:56 S13
I'm on the way, I'm on the way.
01:59 S14
Looks big, looks big.
02:05 UU (Music)
Can you, can you, can you go down down down down down...
02:23 S15
Hello, I'm Sam and I'm Lizzie. And this is Studio 1, your weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view. Here on Vision Australia Radio.
02:30 S16
On this week's show...
02:31 S15
Surf's Up, as we talk to Paralympic cyclist and surf champion Matt Formston about the blind, see a documentary out in cinemas now.
02:40 S16
As we always say at this point, please do get in touch with the show. Whether you have experience with any of the issues covered on this week's episode of Studio 1, or whether you think there's something we should be talking about. You never know. Your story and insight may help someone who is dealing with something similar.
02:55 S15
Please email us: studio1@visionaustralia.org ... That's studio number one at Vision Australia dot org.
03:02 S16
Well, perhaps you can drop us a note on our Facebook at facebook.com slash VA Radio Network.
03:10 S15
Hello, Lizzie.
03:11 S16
Hey, Sam. How are you today?
03:13 S15
I'm pretty good. It's been a little bit busy because we've been doing a fair bit of work to try and finish off the the year, but I understand that... well, you've been in the wars.
03:26 S16
I'm a bit shaken up. Yes. So I was involved in a, I want to say that it's minor in the sense that no one was hurt, but a minor car accident recently. And because of that, I've been very shaken up. I'm still in a little bit of shock, and I'm finding it hard to process things, even though it was minor, you know, in in the sense, like I said, no injuries, no fatalities. However, the it could have been worse and the car we were in is probably a total write off. Who knows?
03:59 S15
So what happened?
04:00 S16
Well, coming down a busy main road on the outside lane in the left, a truck was trying to merge and hit the back of our car and it pushed us along. And as that's happened, we've spun out the front of our cars, hit the truck, and we've ended up in the median strip. I thought that it was a flat tire, because I didn't feel like the sharp impact that you'd expect being hit by a truck. It just sort of felt like when your tire goes out and you wobble a bit. Mm. But then we didn't slow down and we started spinning. I knew right there and then it wasn't a flat tire. But it's still, it wasn't until I was told what had actually happened that it was fully able to process like oh okay. So I'm lucky.
04:44 S15
So no one was hurt. I mean, apart from a sense of shock, there weren't any injuries?
04:51 S16
No. The truck driver was fine. The car driver was fine, I was fine. Lacey was even fine. I think she thought it was just a fun roller coaster ride. Well.
05:00 S15
Well, I have been... a while since I've known someone who's been in a car accident. So this week we're talking to a blind surfer. And what it seems to be is, he's also a former cyclist.
05:11 S16
So again, this is what I'm going to say. I reckon I know everyone because I know that name. I reckon he was competing back in 2014 and 2015, when I was with the Tandem Project here in Adelaide, and he was competing for, I'm from New South Wales, yes.
05:28 S15
Yes, from New South Wales. So yeah.
05:30 S16
He's like Aussie tandem. They were one of the elites. Yeah.
05:33 S15
He went to Rio for example. So yeah it does seem nowadays that you can't chuck an UGG boot without it hitting either a former or a current tandem cyclist.
05:42 S16
I swear we're everywhere and yet the sport is so underdeveloped. But I guess that's a story for another day, right?
05:49 S15
It is, it is. But I mean, one thing that has happened in the last few weeks is that the entire Paralympic team has been announced. Yes. So I have got this off the Blind Sports Australia website and say who has been selected from a blind and vision impaired point of view. Right. So in athletics we have Jared Clifford. He's a T13 1000 505,000 metre runner. Wow. We have Chad Peris and yes, he's well, he's a sprinter. You know he hits it. Not a lot can be expected as far as that goes. So he entered in the T13 100m. Also Jackson Hamilton who is an F13 javelin thrower. So we now go to cycling and hurrah! We actually have tandem cyclists selected this time round.
06:43 S16
Only two of them, I believe.
06:45 S15
Yes. That's right. So Jessica Gallagher and her pilot, Caitlin Ward. Yes. And Kane Paris is that.
06:54 S16
Is it Chad's brother? Are they related?
06:56 S15
Possibly. I've, you know, we have yet to talk to them.
06:59 S16
Really? But because he is a sprinter as well. Like a track sprinter.
07:03 S15
So yeah. Kane and his pilot. Luke. Zachariah. Zachariah. Yep. Now we also have a judo player and that's Taylor Goossens.
07:15 S16
Oh, yes.
07:15 S15
And she's entered in the J2 plus 70kg category. In the swimming we have Katja Dedekind. She's an S13 swimmer. And Jenna Jones an S12 swimmer. And then rounding things off, we have a friend of the show, Sam Harding, entered in the triathlon with his guide, Aaron Royle. Now, one thing that stands out to me here, I mean, there's a couple of things really, but the, they're... the people selected. They're all B2 and B3 athletes.
07:55 S16
Yes. So just to clarify, this means that none of the athletes are going to represent us, are totally blind.
08:02 S15
That's right. So in blind sports at the moment, there are no totally blind athletes that have qualified. No. So that's, I don't know. I don't like that at all. Surely there are people out there who can be developed. And this is a complaint that has been mentioned a number of times about Paralympic sport, is that the lower classifications are not being developed.
08:30 S16
No. I think it's, like I'm in two minds about this because of course, you want the best of the best of your country to go and represent your chosen sport. However, I am also of the opinion, as you are, that the law of classification should get an opportunity to be developed because we make just as good as athletes as anyone.
08:53 S15
I think that there are some coaches who are reticent to take people on who are more severely disabled. And I mean, in athletics, for example. Yes, you need a guide runner. You need somebody to point you in the right direction. And I'm not sure whether an elite coach is now happy to take on that sort of responsibility.
09:15 S16
Well, I guess essentially they're taking on two athletes, aren't they?
09:18 S15
Well, yes they are. I actually recently attended... an exercise about training guide runners. And so there is an international club called Achilles that it functions to supply guide runners for severely visually impaired people and totally blind people.
09:42 S16
I love that. That's amazing.
09:43 S15
So we're looking at creating a chapter here in Adelaide. But there are chapters in other states as well. And dear listener, if you are interested in taking up a bit of running, you don't have to do so at an elite level. But if you want to go out and go for a jog, you can contact Achilles and they can help you find somebody to run with.
10:02 S16
And also and...
10:03 S15
It's fundable through the NDIS.
10:05 S16
And also to our sighted listeners, if you do run, if you do do a bit of running, whether it be A5K 10-K, whether you do distance running or you're just a weekend warrior, I'm sure Achilles would love your help. I mean, I wouldn't want someone to run a marathon that I can't run for to save my life, but it's something that I wanted to get into so I wouldn't need an elite level guide. I just need someone that's fit enough to run and, you know, build my fitness up. So if that's something that you're interested in doing, please do. It's like cycling with pilots. We never have enough pilots.
10:38 S15
No, no. And the thing is, there will always be someone out there with your fitness level. So I mean, what it does require is being, well, taller than the person you're running with because you don't want to be have tiny little legs and be running with someone who is striding along... at a pace there, because you're not going to be able to match the stride with them.
11:03 S18
Yeah, exactly.
11:04 S15
And but you've also, at the elite level, the guide runner has to be faster than the athlete.
11:11 S18
How does that work?
11:12 S15
Well, they match steps. So you have a tether usually. However, sometimes some athletes choose to run just with a, say, a hand contact. So touching the elbow or something like that. So the guide runner is always running behind the athlete. Yep. And it is required that that they actually finish the race after the athlete that they're guiding. That is an automatic disqualification. We actually had that in Sydney where an inexperienced guide runner runner ran the entire marathon with the athlete, crossed the line first and that athlete was disqualified.
11:51 S16
That would be tragic. Like you've worked so hard to run this distance and you know you've done really well, and then you get disqualified because of something like that. I mean, I mean, rules are rules, I guess, but I'm not a runner, so I don't understand them.
12:07 S15
And the other thing, my other observation here, as far as the team selection goes, and I'm going to talk strictly for track and field. So in Sydney there were nine of us. Yeah. In Seoul there were over 20. Aha. And now there are only three athletes.
12:23 S18
Yep.
12:24 S15
And that's the same with tandem cycling. You know, they can have two athletes in each event. And yet it looks like we've only got two.
12:33 S16
Well I think we've only got sprinters in the track cycling as well. There aren't any sprinters going over and representing us on the road or in the pursuit, which is sad, but I guess maybe they think there's no one good enough.
12:49 S15
Well, it's a case of qualifying as well, but things have definitely changed and I think for the sports to develop, you need to put the effort in at the ground level. I seem to think that what Athletics Australia and Paralympics Australia and the other generic bodies are doing really is hoping that athletes come to them and the athletes that do come to them are well, it's through luck more than anything else. There's no path from the lower levels to the Paralympic team.
13:23 S16
Well, see, this is what I'm finding particularly hard at the moment is like I want to progress. So I have a steady training routine that's consistent week over week. I'm good with my structured training, I follow my workouts, I'm progressing in fitness and things. And yet, because I haven't been selected by a higher organisation and I'm too scared to approach one for fear of rejection as well, it's hard for me to progress any further than what I have, which is, you know, sad because I'd like to race internationally. You know, even if it's not in the Olympics, just going to a World Cup and experiencing that would be amazing. But again, yes, it's... hard to do.
14:07 S15
What I'm liking about tandem cycling, though, is that you have a good base now you have people that are joining it just to have fun to, you know, to compete. But so that's a good start. But yeah, as I said, you need those extra steps to go bring athletes up to the next level.
14:28 S18
Exactly. It doesn't seem to be a need at all.
14:29 S16
There needs to be. And not just in cycling, but other sports as well. I talk about cycling because it's a sport that I can relate to, But there needs to be more grassroots level movements. So we are looking at starting one. At the moment, I can't divulge too much into it because we're in the process of, you know, getting started, but, you know, to have an all inclusive space where athletes can come at any level and have a place to develop and have a place to learn and to grow and to... get good quality coaching and advice, their needs that that needs to be created. And currently that thing just doesn't exist. Unless you are elite, you don't get help.
15:12 S15
The other thing I think is a problem is that I can talk to you about my day, where it was a thing that you did when you were in school. You went out to training? Yeah. There were teachers who encouraged you to do some sport, and that was in South Australia with Dennis Peck.
15:34 S18
And Jenny Flood.
15:35 S15
And Jenny Flood. Yes. It was in the northern church with Nigel Rouse. It was in Queensland with Daire Beavis and, yeah, the Harringtons in Victoria. And people in pretty much every state was, were encouraging young kids to get out there and give it a go at least. Yeah, that doesn't happen anymore.
15:56 S16
No, I dare say, if I'm allowed to say this, that there is being emphasis placed on other things. So, I mean, um, academics is very important, especially in school aged individuals, obviously, but there is less and less push for kids to get out and be active and get involved in sport because unfortunately, and this is a generational thing, unless you're winning, people are tempted to give up.
16:28 S15
Definitely. And but I mean, this is the thing, once you get a group of blind people together and they're doing something together, it becomes a lot more enjoyable.
16:36 S18
It does.
16:36 S16
Yeah. I mean, I've made so many friends interstate as well from this tandem cycling like Jodi and Carli and all those crew. Lily and I never would have met these people. I never would have even thought to reach out to them. I wouldn't have even known they existed if it weren't for the magical sport that is tandem cycling.
16:59 S15
But anyway, so the person we are talking to today has not had any of this problem. Mind you, he had problems identifying as blind at school. He wanted to fit in so he only in his 30s did he actually come to terms with having a disability.
17:15 S16
That's very interesting, because I think a lot of people are in that position. They believe they're identifying with their disability, makes them less than...
17:24 S15
Indeed. But he has since done some pretty good stuff. So let's hear from Matt Formston.
17:33 S2
Thanks so much for having me.
17:35 S15
As we were talking just off air, we actually do have a few friends in common, because you were a, well, you started you started as a Paralympian. You competed in Rio as a tandem cyclist.
17:47 S2
Yeah. I mean, I was in my 30s at the time, so I wouldn't say I started, but yeah, I yeah, I went to Rio.
17:55 S15
Were you a particularly sporty person or was it something you sort of fell into like I did?
17:58 S2
Oh no. No, I was very sporty. I played rugby league, rugby union, ice hockey, all able bodied. Yeah. As a up until about, you know, late teens. So, but sort of, wouldn't have ever with my disability. I didn't, you know, my journey with disability has been, you know, it's an evolution, and didn't really own my disability when I was younger. So I was probably embarrassed about it. So I wouldn't have gone to the Paralympics as a 20 year old. So it was, it wasn't until I sort of accepted my disability that I decided to take on that journey.
18:29 S15
All right, let's alk about your eye condition. So what have you got, as it were?
18:32 S2
It's macular dystrophy, I guess. Yeah. So I've got no basically no central vision and some peripheral. I've actually lost a fair bit over the last couple of years. It was pretty stable from the age of five until that sort of 40. And then I've just lost a bit more over the last couple of years.
18:48 S15
So you're so you can still see a little bit nowadays or has it taken all your sight?
18:53 S2
No, I can see a little bit. I'm like B2 low B2 so, yeah, I've got just a bit of peripheral vision and I can't read any texts, so everything's voiceover and um. Yeah.
19:05 S15
So how did you look at other people with a disability back in the day? You said it took a while to come to terms with it. Yeah.
19:11 S2
I don't think I looked negatively at other people. It was just my my self-identity that I didn't I didn't I went through mainstream schooling and I didn't want to, you know, my disability was my difference and I didn't want to be different. So, um, I just sort of didn't own it.
19:24 S15
I think we've all been through that at some stage. Yes. So when did things sort of click? When did you sort of come out, as it were, as having a disability?
19:32 S2
Well, yeah, I think probably in my 30s, you know, once I, well, I was around the time sort of everything happened for me, you know, I became a world champion in cycling and my job, my corporate career, sort of. Everything just went good because I decided, you know, I just sort of owned it and started asking for a bit of help and and acknowledging, you know, that it's part of me.
19:55 S15
So let's move on to surfing then. So what got you started there, or has this been something you've always been interested in?
20:00 S2
Yeah, I've always surfed, so since I was five years old and I said, everyone says, Oh, you went from cycling to surfing, but I probably wouldn't have done my cycling career if surfing was a para sport. But it wasn't until the first World Championships was in 2016. So I sort of finished up in Rio and then jumped straight on the back on the board and went to world championships that year.
20:22 S15
So is surfing a Paralympic sport? I didn't think it was yet.
20:25 S2
It's not. No. it's a power sport. So we got world championships. It was shortlisted for LA. So it was power climbing and power surfing was shortlisted and presented to the LA Organising Committee. But they've only taken through climbing at this stage because of cost and complexity. They haven't they haven't progressed surfing, which is very interesting considering the surfing in the Olympics.
20:47 S15
So you are a subject of a documentary? How how has that been? Sort of, having a film crew follow you around?
20:57 S2
It's been interesting. I mean, it's a three year project, but I probably only did, you know, in reality, it's probably a month or a couple of months of filming. A lot of the obviously, the documentary interviews a lot of people about me. So I wasn't actually there for a lot of that filming. I mean, I've been, I suppose, a public figure because of my success in cycling and now in surfing for quite a while. So I'm sort of used to cameras, but no, I think, yeah. Having a feature feature documentary made is probably, you know, it's another level again. But it was. Yeah, it was fun.
21:28 S15
How about you tell us about the film? I mean, just a little bit about what it's about and some of the subject matter.
21:33 S2
So the film is... I mean, it's about me. It's about my big wave surfing journey. So it's a 90 minute film. The first 45 minutes sort of goes through my backstory of growing up acquiring a disability. My parents journey with with disability and, you know, with my disability and then and me being a, you know, a parent and then it sort of goes into my cycling career very briefly. And when I say briefly, like less than a couple of minutes. And then the last, the back end is a bit of... stuff around, like world championships for surfing. And then there's the back end of it is literally 45 minutes of me going to a place called Nazaré in Portugal, which is where all the who's got some vision.. it would have seen YouTube clips or on social media. It's the place where all the biggest waves in the world, all the world records are set there. It's a big lighthouse on the headland. So I went and surfed. It was my journey of going to Nazaré and surfing those waves.
22:32 S15
You made an interesting point in the trailer to the movie that if the fact that you can't see is sometimes an advantage with certain things. I mean, I can remember being in similar situations back in high school when I was doing drama, I was the one that got up onto the the ceiling and took down all the lights because everyone else was afraid of heights.
22:52 S2
Yeah, I'm I can relate to that. I used to climb higher than everyone else in trees because I couldn't see the ground. I think there's a bit of that, definitely. I mean, you go to Nazaré, you stand on the on the cliff there and you can hear the waves. They sound like bombs going off. And I think visually, if you were looking at that, it'd probably be intimidating. But look, for a big wave surfer, it's... we're just having fun, right? Like we love it. You don't go and surf there unless you're unless you unless you're having fun. Because it's... like someone... I ended up surfing a 51ft wave, which was just... recognised by the Guinness World Records. A man unfortunately lost his life, you know, about six weeks after we were there surfing 30 foot wave. So it's a it's a very serious place. And yeah, it's not, it's definitely not somewhere that you go and dabble just to get an Instagram shot.
23:40 S15
No, but you went there and you, you surfed those waves. Are you looking at doing anything similar in the future?
23:47 S2
Yeah. I mean, that's that's sort of I mean, the documentary is about my life, I didn't do, I didn't surf those waves before the film. I surfed them because that's what I love doing. And so, yeah, I'll probably go back to Nazaré and I'm continuing to surf other big waves. You know, it's just as part of what I, what I do, what I love doing, but yeah, I'm also now considering because of the breath capacity I've got from big wave surfing, being a big wave athlete, I can hold my breath for my longest time under water. Just before I went to Nazaré was about five minutes, 48 seconds on one breath. So I'm considering doing a free diving world record attempt. Swimming down deep with one breath. Yeah.
24:26 S15
So you love the water, then? Yes. And so, with a lot of sports for people with a disability, there are modifications. Are there any modifications? If, say, someone like me wanted to jump on a surfboard or compete at a national or an international level?
24:41 S2
Not with the equipment, but there is as far as the process. So we use what we call a spotter. So you've got a guide who's in the water with you, and they tell you where the waves are coming, which way to go. Because you can either let some waves go left, some waves go right. And then they, you know, depending on the level you're at, they can tell you what's like, shaped the wave. If it's going to, if I need to race or if I need to cut back and what my first sort of turn should be. And then after that it's up to it's just feel. And then with Nazaré in particular, I mean, I don't know anyone. There's no other blind surfer in the world surfing waves that size.
But we worked out a process of using a whistle. So we use an orienteering whistle. So because I can't see when to let go of the way the rope, when I'm on the wave and you're doing about 60km an hour behind the jetski to catch the wave. So you get towed in on a jet ski and you can't you can't physically paddle at that speed. So you have to be whipped in on a jet ski. And then the boys make the decision that, yeah, that's the right way for me, and they blow the whistle. So then I pull the rope and let go and drop down the wave. And then we worked out when we were over there that I was because I was going so fast, I was turning a bit late, so I was going too far down the wave. So they ride the side of the wave with the jet, on the jet ski, and they blow the whistle a second time. And that's when I start my turn.
And then I surf across the wave, and then they when they see that I should get out, like we call it kick out. So get out of the way before the anaconda at the end gets you. They blow the whistle a third time and I kick out of the wave. And that's, that's documented quite, quite well in the film.
26:07 S15
Did you have any close calls while you're over there?
26:08 S2
Yeah. On the on the 51 footer. I didn't make the end of that wave. It got me, and I... so we're filming for a documentary. Obviously, there's... the director. There's four cameras on land, my spotter, a drone up in the sky for safety. Jet skis, two cameras, jet skis. No one could find me. I got dragged that far underwater. Yeah, so I was in a wetsuit. But, I mean, they found me after not, you know, it was. It was probably, you know, 20 seconds where I was underwater, and they couldn't they couldn't find me. But it was a long 20 seconds for everyone.
26:42 S15
Oh, that was... holding your breath would have come in handy. Unless you've... how did you feel when that happened?
26:48 S2
Look, you do all the training, so the training I'd done leading up to that, we do, like we do do jiu jitsu underwater. The guys hold me down, they spin me around. So you simulate all that sort of stuff? It's probably worse, to be honest. What they do to me than a wave does. So, yeah, you just go back into your process of staying calm and not panicking because if you panic, that's when really bad things happen in big wave surfing. So it's just about staying calm and going back through your process.
27:13 S15
We'll go back to the world Championship and national surfing is. So some blind sports rely on categories. Does blind surfing do that or is it all-in-everyone-in?
27:26 S2
No, well at the moment it used to be all in, everyone in. And then it's been split off now. So B1 is in its own category. And then B2 and B3 are together.
27:35 S15
Right. Okay. So do you. So the B1 is required to say wear a blindfold or glasses or anything like that.
27:41 S2
No. Which I don't agree with. I think they should. I know there's some athletes in, yeah, I know some athletes that potentially shouldn't be in that category.
27:52 S15
But you know, that's, I think we've all encountered that. I'm a big I'm a big, big advocate for blindfolds for B1. It also means that someone like yourself, when you're getting close to being B1, can then potentially nominate to...
28:08 S2
Make a decision. Yeah. Yeah.
28:09 S15
To wear the blindfold as well. I mean there's yeah. So yeah, it's a, I hadn't actually thought of that as a, as a sporting opportunity really. It's a but I mean it would be a terrific thing for it to be in a future games. So is there any talk of it going into anything else. I mean it's not in LA but it's...
28:29 S2
It might be in LA. So there's a big petition and there reckons the organising committee are reconsidering it. So hopefully that is successful. If not, then obviously we'll push for Brisbane. But I mean, the fact that the Paralympic Committee, it's an arduous process just to get to be to be shortlisted and then, you know, recommended. So we're down to the last two sports. So you hope that we'll be suggested again from Brisbane and... hopefully we get included there. But mate, I'm getting I'm definitely not getting any, any younger. So we'll see how I'm going. As far as I think, I'm still beating all the young blokes at the moment, but they've all got different ideas about what will be happening in the future.
29:03 S15
Oh, if you could hold on for Brisbane, there's nothing like competing in front of a home crowd, I can tell you that. I've having Being competed in Sydney then? Yeah. There's a there's something. Something special that you have there. So, yeah. Do other... disability groups.... compete in surfing?
29:19 S2
Yes. So there's two obviously there's the, we call partial vision and no vision. And the vision loss, there are prone. So they're laying down on the board. So many people that have spinal cord injuries. And so there's two prone categories. So they paddle them, one's prone and they paddle. They paddle themselves out and catch waves and do everything themselves. They're totally independent in the water. And then there's prone assist. So many more people that have got like a lower spinal cord injury or quadriplegics and they get they get pushed out and they get pushed into waves. So, they're all they do is lean, I suppose, to be able to steer and turn the board. Then they've we've got wave skiers as well. So they're pulling more higher. Spinal cord injury where they've still got good function in their arms and they can sit up straight. And then there is empty categories as well. So there's Neil. For the one legged amputee or dual amputees, there's above knee amputee. And then there's upper limb amputee as well.
30:19 S15
Have you seen someone surf and gone Oh my god, I can't believe how do they do that?
30:23 S2
Look, yes, there's... definitely a bit of that. And just the fact that they can get out, I mean, I mean, Bethany Hamilton obviously is another athlete... that's well documented - the fact that she can paddle with one arm and surf the way she surfs is, is amazing.
30:40 S15
So the documentary is out as this interview goes to air. The premiere is the 14th of August. Is there any special function you're going to to celebrate its release or anything like that?
30:53 S2
Yeah, we're doing the premiere, actually on the 11th at the... Sydney Opera House, which is pretty cool.
30:59 S15
Oh, wow. Okay. And do we have any special guests or anyone that will be attending?
31:04 S2
Yeah. Well, there's a number of special guests. Noteworthy, there's, you know, the CEO of Surfing Australia, Dylan Longbottom and surfer Gladys Berejiklian. A number of... yeah, there's lots of lots of different people coming. It should be a beautiful afternoon.
31:19 S15
Having a... international career often gives you the opportunity to meet people that might not normally meet. So are there any heroes you've... crossed paths with?
31:29 S2
I mean, probably surfers that I get to meet is, has been pretty cool as part of my journey. I don't, yeah. I mean, Usain Bolt... was an ambassador. Optus is my major sponsor, and he obviously did some work with Optus as well. So I got to meet him. Yeah, just lots of different people.
31:47 S15
We can find the documentary at most major cinemas and... probably a few minor ones as well. Is there... any more news about whether it will be coming to streaming services or to TV or anything like that?
32:01 S2
I believe so, yeah. There's talk that the team are having conversations now with all the... media that we've got. So yeah, I don't I don't have an answer to that, but I'm.. yes, I've been told it will be on a stream and it'll be on TV as well.
32:15 S15
But otherwise I have seen the adverts, in event cinemas and Hoyts. So anyone listening, please go and see it. It's, it looks like it's going to be quite the journey.
32:24 S2
It's fully accessible. We've got everything audio described. So thank you to Vision Australia for doing that. It's, yeah, should be, hopefully people can enjoy it. But yeah, the sound stage in the cinema is epic. I did... went through the editing process at in the studio and it was great. But there was nothing like in the cinema, the cinema experience with the audio, with the waves crashing and the jet skis and everything is very special. Thanks, Matt. Thank you. See ya.
32:54 S15
That is a wrap for this week. Thank you to Matt Formston and to Lee Robson for helping to set up the interview.
33:00 S16
And of course, thanks to you for listening.
33:02 S15
Next week we've applied for a job at the Brisbane City Council.
33:06 S18
Vision Australia's.
33:07 S16
Harmony Downes and Matt Larney from the Brisbane City Council go over our job applications and we find out what it would take to hire a couple of blind radio announcers.
33:17 S15
Between now and then, please do get in touch with the show. Whether you have experience of any of the issues covered in this episode of Studio 1, or if you think there is something we should be talking about. You never know. Your story and insight may help someone who is dealing with something similar.
33:31 S16
You can reach us via email at studio1@visionaustralia.org ... that's studio number one at Vision Australia dot org. Or perhaps you can look us up on our socials. Just search for VA Radio Network. We want to hear from you.
33:47 S18
Bye for now.
33:49 S1
Vision Australia Radio gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.
